Rage
by Jossfan
Summary: COMPLETED! American Gothic/Incredible Hulk crossover - David Banner arrives in Trinity, hoping not to draw attention to himself. Unfortunately, an incident brings him under Sheriff Lucas Buck's scrutiny. Will Lucas make him angry?
1. Chapter 1

Special thanks goes to beta readers Renee, Rick and Neila and to those people who compiled The Incredible Hulk FAQ, Version 2.1.

**Disclaimers:** _American Gothic characters and canon belong to Shaun Cassidy and Sam Raimi; The Incredible Hulk characters belong to Stan Lee and Marvel Comics, although I am using the canon of the CBS television series as the basis in my story. Plot and any original characters belong to me. No copyright infringement intended. _

"Within each of us, ofttimes, there dwells a mighty and raging fury."

- The Incredible Hulk - Pilot Episode

* * *

"How much more of this do you think I'm goin' to take?"

Lucas Buck's voice boomed through Loris Holt's boardinghouse and traveled up the stairs. The growing loudness of the argument had already propelled David Baxter, a.k.a. Dr. David Banner, to the door of his room. Now he frowned and, opening the door slightly, barely heard Loris Holt's reply:

"That's up to you, Sheriff. I'm Caleb's guardian, not you. He's my responsibility. You want to see him, you go through me."

There was a long pause and David quietly opened his door wider. "Why, I believe I might just do that," the sheriff drawled.

Boots crunched through the front hall, then the door slammed.

David Baxter sighed in relief and shut the door of his room. He'd been afraid he might have to come to Miss Holt's assistance if the argument had escalated, and then he might have become...angry. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. God, he hadn't gotten angry in so long...

* * *

Lucas Buck sat in the Crown Victoria, one arm resting on the steering wheel. He scowled at the boardinghouse across the street from where he parked. "Yep, that's a right good idea you had there, Miss Holt," he said with a nod. "I think I will go right through you." He closed his eyes and slowly made a fist.

* * *

Loris Holt staggered on her way into the kitchen and clutched at her throat. Gasping for air, she tried to call out, but only garbled sounds escaped her lips.

* * *

David Baxter opened his eyes. It hadn't happened in weeks. He'd found a nice little southern town to stay in and gotten himself a job at the Trinity Tavern. There was no reason to think it couldn't last a while longer. Please God, let it last a while longer.

* * *

The muscles in Lucas's hand tensed as he tightened his fist.

* * *

As darkness floated into the edges of Loris's vision, she stumbled desperately toward the phone in the kitchen.

* * *

David shook himself out of his reverie and slipped his wallet into his pants pocket. Maybe he'd grab an early dinner before heading toward the tavern.

* * *

"See you later, Boone."

Lucas opened his eyes at the sound of his son's voice. Caleb Temple waved at his friend, then ran up the walk to the boardinghouse.

* * *

Loris lunged at the phone on the counter and missed, collapsing on the linoleum floor. It was so far away...Can't breathe...

* * *

David flipped the light switch off and stepped into the hall.

* * *

The boardinghouse door fell shut behind Caleb. "Hey, Miss Holt," he yelled, making a beeline toward the kitchen. "Got any cookies and... Miss Holt!" The boy's bookbag tumbled from his shoulder, its contents spilling out onto the floor, as Caleb rushed to her side.

* * *

Lucas grinned and headed back to the sheriff's station to await the inevitable phone call.

* * *

"What the...?" David's shoe crunched down on one of Caleb's pencils, neatly snapping it in half.

Caleb looked up from cradling Loris's head. "She can't breathe. You gotta do somethin', Mr. Baxter."

"What happened?" David asked, stepping over a juice box and nearly slipping on a sheaf of notebook paper. He knelt beside Loris, her breath coming out in strangled gasps. "What's she choking on?"

"I don't know," said Caleb, sliding back slightly to make room for David. "She was just lyin' there when I came in. Oh, God, Miss Holt, don't you die on me too."

Loris's eyes were rolling into the back of her head. "Call 911, Caleb," David commanded, as he pulled the woman into a sitting position, his arms around her stomach. He performed the Heimlech maneuver, pressing his clenched hands into her abdomen in an effort to expel whatever was lodged in her throat.

Caleb held the phone away from his face. "They said to try the Hemlock, Hemlick..."

"That's Heimlech and I am," David snapped, continuing to thrust his hands into Loris's abdomen. "It's not working. Tell them we need an ambulance - now!"

As Caleb relayed this message, David frantically glanced around on the floor. If they hadn't sent an ambulance yet, she wasn't going to make it. He snatched the juice box from off the floor. Desperate times called for desperate measures. David resisted a sudden urge to laugh. He was certainly all too familiar with unconventional methods.

"What're you doin'?" Caleb asked, watching David tear the small straw from off the juice box. "This ain't no time for a snack break."

"Get me a knife." David laid Loris back down onto the floor. He glanced up at Caleb. "Do it! If you don't, she's not going to make it."

The boy grabbed one of the kitchen knives out of a drawer and handed it to David. There was no time to heat the blade and David was willing to risk possible infection to save her life. "I sure hope she uses good dishwashing liquid," he muttered as he prepared to make an incision in her throat with the unsterilized knife.

"Hey, what the hell are you doin'?" Caleb demanded. "You gonna cut her throat?!"

"In a manner of speaking." David carefully sliced into Loris's windpipe. Blood welled up from the cut. "Since I can't find the obstruction, I'm opening up an airway in her throat, so she can breathe." He flung the knife aside and inserted the small straw into the incision. As he held the straw in place, David noticed Loris's breathing had become less labored. "I think it's working." He glanced up at Caleb. "It's called a tracheotomy, but this isn't exactly the best way to do it. Aside from it being unsanitary, I don't have anything to hold the straw in place."

"Well, but you said it's workin', though, right?" Caleb was back on his knees next to Loris now. "She ain't gonna die?"

"I hope not." David watched her chest rise and fall, then realized he'd been holding his own breath since he made the incision. He slowly exhaled as he heard the distant scream of a siren. "Ambulance is coming, Caleb. Why don't you wait at the door for them? We'll ride with her to the hospital."

* * *

Billy Peale removed his surgical mask and stripped off his gloves as he left the emergency room of Fulton County Hospital.

Caleb immediately appeared in front of him. "How is she, Doc? Is she gonna be alright?"

Billy glanced down at Caleb as he discarded the items. "She'll be fine, Caleb," he said, clapping a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Her breathing's back to normal and there's no sign of infection yet, but we've got her on antibiotics just in case. The incision in her throat'll keep her from talking for awhile, though."

"Did you ever find what she was choking on?"

Billy looked over at David standing off to the side. "No, we didn't find anything."

"Don't you find that a little strange? A woman almost chokes to death on nothing?"

Billy gave a short laugh. "You're not from around here, are you?"

"Can I see her, Doc?" Caleb asked.

"Not yet, Caleb. She's in recovery right now, then she'll be moved to a room." Billy looked at the fidgety boy. "And then you can see her. For now, just relax."

Caleb sighed loudly. "Alright." His eyes scanned the corridor and came to a stop when he spotted a vending machine. "I'm gonna go get some candy then."

The two men watched Caleb run off, then Billy said, "That was a pretty good tracheotomy you put together there. Now if you'd heated the knife with a cigarette lighter and used some chewing gum to fix the straw in place, I would've been really impressed." He grinned and held out his hand. "Billy Peale."

"David, uh, Baxter." Oops. He'd nearly forgotten the last name he'd chosen this time. So many last names beginning with B over so many years caused him to lose track sometimes.

"You a doctor?" Billy asked.

"I don't practice medicine," David replied, choosing his words with care.

"Really?" Billy raised his eyebrows. "Could've fooled me. You ought to think about it."

David shook his head. "I must've seen that procedure done on television or something."

Billy nodded. "And people say no good comes from television."

"Dr. Peale. Dr. Peale."

The men turned to see several people, some holding microphones and carrying cameras, hurrying toward them.

"What's going on?" David asked, backing away from the approaching crowd.

"My guess? I'd say folks heard about your great surgical skills and want to interview you. You're a hero, man." Billy glanced around. "Hey!" he shouted to David's back as the man fled down the hospital corridor away from the media. "Hey, where are you going?"

* * *

"A hero?" Lucas slammed his desk drawer shut. "What do you mean, a hero?"

"It was amazin', Lucas," Deputy Ben Healy said. "Rita over at the hospital said that this fella cut a hole into Miss Holt's neck and stuck a straw in it so she could breathe. A straw. Can you beat that?"

"No, that ain't what I'd like to beat right now." Lucas stood up and walked around his desk. "So who is this amazin', life-savin' hero?"

"Well, I don't know exactly."

Lucas frowned at his deputy. "What do you mean, you don't know exactly? I thought you said you got the whole entire story from your nurse friend. I guess if you don't have the man's name, then you don't have the whole entire story, now do you?"

"What are you so sore about, Lucas? I mean, this doesn't have anything to do with you." Ben looked suspiciously at the sheriff. "Does it?"

Lucas brushed the comment aside with his hand. "Forget it, Ben. Don't go lookin' for something you wouldn't be able to find. Like that fella's name," he added.

"Well, it ain't like I'm the only one," Ben retorted. "Some of our news folks went down to the hospital to interview him and I guess he took off."

"Took off?" Lucas repeated, narrowing his eyes. "Doesn't care for the press?"

Ben shrugged. "Must be camera shy."

Lucas clapped Ben on the shoulder. "Ben, it's always been my opinion that folks who are camera shy are the ones who've got something to hide." He escorted his deputy out of his office. "Now I want you to find out who this hero is, then run a full computer check on him. Think you can handle that?"

"Well, of course I can, Lucas, but..."

"Good." Lucas shut his office door on Ben. He walked over to his desk, sat down and tilted his chair back. "Alright, Mr. Hero. Exactly what are you hidin'?"

* * *

"So you're the big hero, hmm?"

David stopped in the middle of wiping off a table in the Trinity Tavern and glanced up. A beautiful woman wearing a short skirt and a very low-cut blouse stood beside him, smiling.

"What do you mean, hero?" he asked, turning his back to continue cleaning the table.

"Why, you, honey," the woman drawled. "It's all over town how you saved that poor woman's life today." She ran her brightly painted fingernails lightly down his back.

David whirled around and grabbed her hand. "I'm sorry, you, uh, must have me confused with someone else."

"Oh no, honey," she fairly purred. "I think I know a hero when I see one."

A smile played at the lips of an observer at a lone table in the darkest corner. My, my, my. She does enjoy her work.

Her finger stroked David's hand. He tried to pull away, but her grip tightened. "My name's Selena." She leaned closer, allowing him a fleeting glimpse of her breasts. "And you're David,

right?"

David froze. "How did you know my name?"

Selena Coombs laughed, a low and thrilling sound. "I just told you. This is a small town, honey. Hard to keep secrets here." She whispered in his ear, "Got any deep, dark secrets you want to tell me?"

"Not really," David said, backing up into the table he'd been cleaning.

"Shame," Selena murmured, looking him over. "You know, Trinity doesn't get many heroes." She ground him against the table with her body. "It's just so...rare." Selena ran a tongue over her lips.

David stared into her eyes, captivated by the promise they held. Then he blinked several times and shook his head. He slipped out of her reach. "Look, miss, uh, Selena, I..." Suddenly, a heavy hand fell upon David's shoulder and he was spun around.

A man towered over David. "What the hell do you think you're doin' with my date?" he demanded, hoisting David up by the front of his shirt and staring him straight in the face.

"Hey!" David squirmed in the man's grasp and finally hung there limply, foolishly. He looked at the giant. Indeed, there was nothing else he could look at - the man held him so close David thought he could count the number of whiskers on his face.

"I'm not doing..." David began.

"Now, Joe-Bob, you stop it right this instant," Selena said, hands on her hips.

Joe-Bob's eyes narrowed to slits as he looked past David to the woman. "He was all over you," the man said. "And right in my face too. You think I'm gonna take that?"

"I think you're goin' to take whatever I dish out. We were just talkin'. You think you're goin' to stop me from talkin' to other men?" She waved a finger at him. "Put him down."

"Not until I teach this worm a lesson in respect," Joe-Bob growled, returning his gaze back to David, who turned his head in a vain attempt to avoid inhaling the beer breath. "Strangers comin'

into town thinkin' they can..."

"Listen to her, Joe-Bob," David said, resuming his struggles to free himself. "She's right. All we were doing was talking."

"Shut up." Joe-Bob's muscles flexed beneath the rolled-up plaid shirt sleeves as he shook David. "Ain't nobody asked you."

"I allowed you to escort me here tonight, Joe-Bob," Selena said. "But if you keep this up, that's all I'm goin' to allow you."

The man shot another glance at her. "Oh yeah?" Joe-Bob said. With barely a grunt, he flung David into the tables on the other side of the tavern.

David pushed a chair off himself and rose dizzily from the floor, scarcely noticing Joe-Bob stride across the room. He became very much aware, however, when Joe-Bob's fist connected with his jaw and he again found himself sprawled among a heap of tables and chairs. Stay down, David cautioned himself, hoping Joe-Bob would be satisfied and walk away.

Joe-Bob leaned over him. "Well, looky here," he said, swiping at David's bloody lip with his hand. "Looks like these Yankee boys bleed red like the rest of us."

Again, Joe-Bob lifted David up by the front of his shirt. "Please, don't," David said, his blood salty in his mouth. "You don't know what you're doing."

Joe-Bob regarded him momentarily. "Wimp," he declared and threw him over the bar.

The bartender ducked out of the way as David crashed into the shelves of glasses which lined the wall behind the bar. David tumbled to the floor and cried out as the shards of glass ate into his flesh. "Noooo!"

The silence in the tavern was broken by the sound of tearing cloth, followed by a growl, growing louder in volume.

"What the hell was that?" Joe-Bob took a few steps and leaned over the bar. "What're you doin' back there, boy?"

With an earsplitting roar, a green-skinned giant of a man rose up from behind the bar, tossing aside the torn remnants of his shirt.

The observer arched an eyebrow and leaned forward slightly, but remained seated.

Joe-Bob backed away. "What the..."

Roaring in his face, the green man grabbed Joe-Bob by his shirt and easily tossed him through the nearest window. The sound of shattering glass was overpowered by the green man roaring again

as he clenched his fists and flexed his upper body muscles. He glanced around the crowd of people, then abruptly ran out the door.

Lucas Buck, sheriff of Trinity, touched a finger to his head in salute as the green man passed him.

* * *

"...we now go live to Danielle Davenport in Trinity, South Carolina, for more details."

"Thank you, John..."

The middle-aged man stepped out of the hotel bathroom and yawned as he trudged over to the bureau and sifted through some papers. Where was the Hulk? he wondered. He'd last tracked him

to South Carolina, but there'd been no sighting of the creature now for weeks. He ran a hand through his brown hair and stared at the various newspaper articles he'd written, articles which had

impressed some and made him a laughingstock among others. No, he'd lost too much, spent too much time pursuing the Hulk to give up now. He had to keep looking.

"Sheriff, witnesses say the man was so huge, so bizarre looking, could it have been Bigfoot?"

"Well, they didn't say anything about the size of his feet."

The man frowned and turned toward the television set. Lucas Buck, the caption said below the man being interviewed outside of a bar which looked as if it'd hosted one bar fight too many.

"Do you have any leads?"

"Well, I'd have to say my number one suspect in a case like this would have to be... the Jolly Green Giant."

Laughter rippled through the media.

The man's eyes lit up. He leaned forward and turned up the volume.

"Now seriously, folks, there's nothing to get alarmed about," the sheriff said, holding up his hands. "There's no big green man wreakin' havoc on Trinity. This all happened in a bar, remember, where alcohol is consumed - rather heavily by some, I'm afraid. More than likely, some boys just had too much to drink and got into a fight. It's either that or somebody better find out what's makin' the Jolly Green Giant so grouchy."

More laughter.

Trinity, the man scribbled on the complimentary hotel scratch pad. Reporter Jack McGee was back on the trail.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimers:** _American Gothic characters and canon belong to Shaun Cassidy and Sam Raimi; The Incredible Hulk characters belong to Stan Lee and Marvel Comics, although I am using the canon of the CBS television series as the basis in my story. Plot and any original characters belong to me. No copyright infringement intended. _

"Within each of us, ofttimes, there dwells a mighty and raging fury."

- The Incredible Hulk - Pilot Episode

* * *

Having awakened in the bushes several blocks from the Trinity Tavern, shoeless, shirtless and more than a little fearful, David scurried through town toward the boardinghouse, avoiding the main streets. Arms wrapped around himself in an attempt to keep warm in the cool night air, David cursed the man in the bar for bringing this upon him.

Fool, David thought. Why'd the man have to provoke him? The last thing David remembered was crashing into the glasses behind the bar - and the pain. But then that's how it always was, David thought, glancing up at the sound of a car engine. The pain, the anger, and then nothing until waking up somewhere with the sad realization that it was time to move on.

"Hey. Hey, hold up there."

David ignored the car driving alongside and, head down, quickened his pace.

"Hey. Baxter, isn't it? What the hell happened to you? You get mugged?"

With a deep sigh, David turned toward the occupant of the vehicle.

* * *

Securely wrapped in a white lab coat, David stared out the window of the car as it carried him toward the boardinghouse.

"You're sure you don't want to stop by the hospital?" Billy Peale asked for the third time.

David turned and looked at the doctor. "Right, right," Billy said, lifting a hand off the steering wheel. "You don't need to go to the hospital. You're just fine. That's why I found you roaming around the streets with half your clothes missing. But everything's just fine."

"I appreciate your concern, doctor, and the ride home, but I feel perfectly - "

"Fine," Billy finished for him.

They rode in silence until Billy spoke up. "And you don't want to stop by the sheriff's station? I mean, I know Buck can be a real ass, but a couple of his deputies aren't half bad."

"Buck?" David repeated.

"You know. Lucas Buck." When David frowned and shook his head, Billy said, "The sheriff of Trinity?"

"I'm afraid I haven't had the pleasure," David said.

"Then consider yourself lucky," Billy said. "It's no pleasure, believe me. So why don't you want to report the mugging? I was sure it was because you'd had a run-in with Buck somewhere along the way."

"I didn't get a good look at the, uh, muggers," David replied. "Besides, it's pointless. I'm leaving town."

Billy shot him a glance. "Why? Because of the mugging? You're not afraid of this green man, are you?"

David started. "What about a green man?"

"It's all over town," Billy said with a frown. "Supposedly, some huge green guy busted up the Trinity Tavern. Threw one guy through a window. Where have you been?"

"I had a job at that bar."

"Really? Well, then, you should've... Had?"

"Well, I'm sure it'll be closed for awhile while repairs are made. And I can't stay at the boardinghouse without being able to pay my way."

"What are you talking about? You saved Loris Holt's life, remember?" Billy said, parking the car outside the boardinghouse. "I'm sure she'd be willing to..."

"No! I won't take charity. It's time for me to move on."

Billy switched off the motor, turned, and looked at David. "Boy, you've got an answer for everything, don't you?"

David sighed. "Not everything, doctor, not everything."

* * *

"Hey, Mr. Baxter," Caleb called, knocking on the man's door the following morning. "Are you there?"

"Come in, Caleb."

Caleb swung the door open. "I snuck in to see Miss Holt at the hospital today and..." His voice trailed off as he saw the bureau drawers pulled open, emptied of their contents.

"Yeah? How's she doing?" David asked, continuing to fold his shirts and tuck them into his dufflebag.

"You goin' somewhere?"

David met the boy's eyes. "I'm leaving, Caleb."

"How come? It ain't that green man, is it?"

"Why does everybody think that? What have you heard?" asked David.

Caleb shrugged. "There ain't no green man, if you ask me. Everybody was drinkin'." He leaned against the bureau. "My daddy used to drink," he said, thinking of Gage Temple. "He used to see all sorts of things. Say all sorts of things. He's gone now."

"I'm sorry, Caleb."

"Everybody's gone. Him, my mama, my sister Merly, even Dr. Matt left me." He narrowed his eyes at David. "And now you're runnin' away too."

David put the shirts down on the bed. "I'm not running away, Caleb. I never planned on staying in Trinity permanently." He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. Caleb instantly shook it off. "Besides, I haven't even been here that long."

"You ever lose anybody?"

David closed his eyes and thought of the two women he'd loved in his life. The fiery car crash, him miraculously thrown free from the vehicle and then struggling ineffectually to rescue his wife while she lay trapped inside the wreckage, dying. Laura's death started him on his quest for the secret of tapping into the inner strength. The beginning of the end. He opened his eyes and looked down at the boy. "Yes, I have, Caleb," he said, his thoughts now drifting toward his second wife and the potential for hope and happiness that lay with her. Caroline had known his secret and fully believed that David could find a cure, even while another disease was destroying her from within. "I know death all too well, which is why I also know the importance of life and family."

"Miss Holt..."

"Is not going to die, Caleb," David said, shaking free of his melancholy. "You saw her at the hospital. How was she?"

"She can talk, but it comes out kind of garbled like. It's hard to understand her."

"That's because of the trach...the cut in her throat," David explained.

"Doc Peale said she'll be able to go home in a few days," Caleb said. "Can't you hold off leavin' until then?"

"Caleb..."

"I'm sure she'd be real upset if you left without her bein' able to thank you and all."

David sighed. This kid would make a fine con man, with those wide eyes and that persuasive talk. Maybe if he stayed in the boardinghouse, he'd be safe. It'd only be for a few days. "Alright, Caleb, I'll stay until she comes home."

A wide grin spread across the boy's face.

"You David Baxter?"

David and Caleb looked over at the doorway of his room. "Hey there, Ben," said Caleb. "I didn't hear you come in."

"Door wasn't locked, Caleb," Deputy Ben Healy replied, then glanced over at the other man. "Mr. Baxter?"

"Yes?" David said slowly.

"Sheriff wants to see you down at the station."

"What for?"

"Seems you were in the bar last night at the time of the...incident," Ben answered. "We're interviewin' everybody who was there." He stepped away from the door. "If you'll just come with me, sir."

"Uh, yeah, sure." David glanced around until he found his jacket and followed Ben out the door.

"Boy, you sure got a lot of shirts there," Caleb heard Ben say as the two men started down the stairs.

The boardinghouse door shut moments later and Caleb was left standing in the middle of David's room, frowning. His previous delight at convincing Mr. Baxter to stay had now been replaced by concern over what Lucas wanted with him. He didn't like the idea of Lucas questioning Mr. Baxter. After several minutes, the doorbell rang and Caleb hurried down the stairs to answer it.

"Hello there, young man," said the man on the other side of the door. "Is this, uh," he consulted a notepad, "Loris Holt's boardinghouse?"

"Yeah."

"Is she here? My name's Jack McGee. I'm looking to rent a room."

* * *

"Have a seat, Mr....Baxter." Lucas Buck held out a hand toward the chair opposite his desk. He glanced toward his deputy. "That'll be all, Ben."

"What's this about, Sheriff?" David asked, after Ben had shut the office door behind him.

"Oh, just some routine questions about what happened over at the Trinity Tavern last night," Lucas said. "Nothing to worry about." He looked David squarely in the face. "Unless you got something to be worried about."

David shifted uneasily. "No, of course not. It's just that I don't think I'll be much help to you. I didn't see anything. I must have been in the back when it happened."

"Is that right?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Hmm." Lucas picked up a pen and tapped it on a file folder resting on his desk. "Understand you saved Miss Holt's life the other day. Folks 'round here are callin' you a hero."

"Well, I wouldn't go that far."

"No, I guess you wouldn't," Lucas said, continuing to tap away. "Heard you wouldn't talk to the media. Didn't even want your picture in the paper. Most folks would jump at the chance, but not you." He gestured at David with the pen. "Now why is that?"

David shrugged. "I'm not most folks."

"No, you're sure not," Lucas said. He tossed the file folder across the desk. "You know what's in there?" David shook his head. "Go ahead. Pick it up. That's the results of a background check on one David Baxter, Hero."

Alarmed, David grabbed the folder and opened it.

It was empty.

David looked up to meet Lucas's gaze. "That's right," the sheriff said, nodding. "There's not a damn thing in there. Now just between the two of us, my deputies aren't the brightest, but I'm sure they could've found something on a David Baxter somewhere. DMV, NCIC, nobody seems to have heard of you. Just who the hell are you, Mr. Baxter, if that is your real name?"

David felt the walls of the office close in upon him. "I'm nobody."

"Oh no," Lucas said. "You're somebody now. You're a hero."

"I just want to be left alone."

"Yeah, you and Garbo." Lucas leaned forward. "Well, that ain't likely to happen now, is it? You should've thought about that before you performed your 'heroic act' and called attention to yourself."

"Look," David said, "I didn't do anything wrong. In fact, I'm leaving town. I was getting ready to go when your deputy came and got me."

"Really." Lucas straightened up. "Well, I'm afraid I can't let you leave just yet."

"You can't keep me here."

"Sure I can," Lucas said. "You're a possible suspect in an assault."

David stared at the sheriff. "You...you think I'm the green man?" He laughed uncertainly.

"Well, you do look a little green around the gills there," Lucas said, eyeing him closely. He stood. "You know, I might be able to help you with that little problem of yours - for a favor."

* * *

David stood up. "I don't know what problem you're talking about," he said, walking toward the office door.

"I was at the bar."

David paused with his hand on the doorknob. "What?"

"I was at the bar," Lucas repeated. He chuckled. "Quite an interestin' little show you put on. One man disappears behind a bar and a whole different one gets up in his place. Everyone else might've been too drunk to figure it out, but not me."

With every cell of his body screaming to run, David steeled himself and slowly turned to face the sheriff.

"I've never seen anything like it. And for _**me**_ to say that," Lucas said, "well, that means a whole hell of a lot."

"So what do you plan on doing?"

Lucas shrugged. "Nothing - at the moment." David raised his eyebrows. "I'm handin' you a 'Get Out of Jail Free' card, Baxter. It's up to you if you want to use it."

"What do you mean? You'll let me leave?"

"Well, you could do that," Lucas said, walking around his desk, "but I'm offerin' you the opportunity to get this green monkey off your back - permanently. All I'm askin' in return is that you stick around Trinity awhile longer and you be there when I call in my favor."

David regarded Lucas suspiciously. "What kind of favor?" he asked, then stopped himself. What was he thinking? This sheriff couldn't do anything to help him. No one could.

Another shrug. "Haven't decided yet."

What the hell, David thought. It couldn't do any harm. If this sheriff won't say anything about the Hulk because he think he can make it disappear, that's worth a handshake. And since he won't be able to stop the Hulk, David would be under no obligation to do him any favors. At the very least, it'd buy him some time.

"Alright, Sheriff," David said, looking at the man. "You've got yourself a deal."

Lucas Buck grinned.

* * *

"No, sir, Miss Holt ain't here right now," Caleb told the man standing in the doorway of the boardinghouse.

"Well, do you know when she'll be back?" Jack McGee asked.

Caleb shrugged. "She's in the hospital right now. She had an accident."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that...what was your name?"

"Caleb Temple."

"Well, Caleb, is somebody taking care of things while Miss Holt's in the hospital? I could really use a room."

Caleb glanced behind him at the empty house, where he knew there were two rooms available. "Rose's ma usually takes care of things when Miss Holt's away and she ain't here right now." Caleb turned back toward Jack, still keeping a firm grip on the doorknob. Before the man could speak, Caleb continued, "But I don't think it'd be right to give away any rooms without Miss Holt bein' here, you know. It is her house and there are other places to stay in town."

* * *

"Looks mighty fine, Gloria," Lucas said, rubbing his hands together as the waitress placed the lunch plate on the table in front of the sheriff. "Say, you do something different with your hair, darlin'?" he asked the fiftyish woman. "Why, you look about ten years younger."

Gloria blushed and ran a well-worn hand through her salt-and-pepper hair. "Why no, Sheriff."

Lucas shook his head. "Well, there's just something about you today that makes my heart beat a little faster."

"Sheriff." Gloria giggled and quickly covered her mouth with her hand. "You're one sweet-talker," she said, tapping his shoulder with her order pad. "Don't know why none of our womenfolk have snapped you up yet."

As she moved on to other customers, Lucas settled a napkin on his lap and picked up his knife and fork. He was just about to dig in to the prime rib when a shadow loomed over his table. He sighed.

"I don't take kindly to folks interruptin' my meals," he snapped. "This better be good." He looked up. "Who the hell are you?" he asked the stranger standing before him.

"Jack McGee."

"So? Is that supposed to mean something to me?"

The man removed a business card from his suit pocket and held it out to the sheriff.

"I'm eatin', not readin'," Lucas said, holding his knife and fork firmly in his hands.

Jack put the business card on the table next to Lucas's glass. "I'm a reporter with the National Register."

"Not another reporter," Lucas said, sighing and rolling his eyes heavenward. The tabloid spotlight had burned bright on Trinity since news of the green creature broke and Lucas's patience had been considerably singed. "You've got about ten seconds to tell me what you're doin' in my town and it better not be about that green fella."

Jack sat down. "I'm glad you brought that up, Sheriff," he said, placing his briefcase on the table and opening it.

Lucas raised an eyebrow as he set down his utensils and leaned back slightly in his chair. "Well, just have yourself a seat, why don't you?" He made a mock gesture toward the already occupied chair opposite him.

"Thank you," Jack said, pulling papers from his briefcase. "I've been tracking the Hulk for a number of years, Sheriff, and I think I can help you. The information I've..."

"Hold it right there," Lucas said, holding up a hand. "First of all, I don't need your help in doin' anything. And second, what the hell is a Hulk?"

Jack blinked his eyes and frowned at the sheriff. "It's the green creature who tore up that bar the other day."

"And you call him the Hulk?"

"Well...yes."

Lucas laughed. "Alright, I'm not even goin' to ask you why you picked that name," he said, still chuckling. "I'm just tellin' you" - he pointed a finger at McGee - "I'm not goin' to have Trinity turned into some kind of circus freak show for all you reporters just 'cause a bunch of good ol' boys got liquored up and started a bar fight."

"But, Sheriff, he's dangerous," Jack protested.

"So am I if my lunch gets cold."

"He's not something to be laughed off, Sheriff," the reporter insisted. "He's a killer." Jack could recite the history in his sleep by now. "His first victims were Dr. Elaina Marks and Dr. David Banner. I was there when..."

"Hold on," Lucas interrupted. "David who?"

* * *

"C'mon, Boone! Hurry up," Caleb whispered as the two boys crept up to the empty tavern, ducking as the headlights of a car passed over them.

"I don't know if this is such a good idea," Boone said, glancing around the darkened street, bits of light from the nearby street lamp casting eerie patterns in the shadows.

Caleb curled up his lip. "You ain't afraid, is you?"

"No."

"Good. 'Cause I told you there ain't no green monster runnin' around Trinity."

"Then what are we doin' here, Caleb?" asked Boone.

"Now that's a mighty good question, son, and I'd be interested in hearin' your answer."

The two boys jumped.

Lucas Buck grinned down at them.

Oughta be used to him sneakin' up on me by now, Caleb thought, scowling up at the sheriff.

"You boys shouldn't be out so late on a school night," Lucas said. "Your mama's probably wonderin' where you are, Boone."

Taking this as his cue to leave, Boone said, "I'll see you tomorrow, Caleb."

"Boone..." Caleb watched as his friend ran down the block.

"And as for you, son," Lucas said, "if this is the way you're goin' to act with Miss Holt in the hospital, maybe you ought to stay with me until she comes home."

"Naw, that's alright. She'll be home in a few days and Rose's ma is there."

"Well, I'll bet Rose's ma don't know you're runnin' around the streets of Trinity tonight, does she?"

Caleb's frown deepened.

"Didn't think so. Come on, son, I'll take you back home."

"Home to the boardinghouse, you mean," Caleb said.

Lucas looked down at the boy. "If that's what you want."

"Yep." Caleb fell into step beside Lucas. After a brief silence, he asked, "What do you care if me and Boone are out? We've been out plenty of times at night and you ain't never said anything. It ain't like we're gonna run into that green monster."

"You sound awfully sure about that."

"Well, shoot, I just figured the guy that owned the bar must've done something to make you mad and..."

"Hold it right there." Lucas stopped walking and looked at Caleb. "You think _**I**_ had something to do with this so-called green guy?"

"You mean you didn't?"

"No, I didn't, son. And if ol' Buford had gotten me mad, don't you think I would've been a little more original than something out of a comic book?"

* * *

David turned the page of the Trinity Guardian newspaper, a smile playing on the corners of his mouth. It'd been four days since the Hulk's appearance and the story had finally moved off the front page of the newspaper and been tucked away in the back section. He took a sip of coffee and set the mug back down on the kitchen table. Loris Holt would be coming home from the hospital tomorrow, Sheriff Buck hadn't contacted him about doing any favors, and since he'd virtually hidden himself away in the boardinghouse after his meeting with the sheriff, there hadn't been any re-emergence of the Hulk. Perhaps he wouldn't have to leave after all.

"Hey, watch it, kids!" David said, as Caleb and his friend Rose raced into the kitchen and skidded to a halt in front of the refrigerator.

"See, told you I'd beat you." Rose grinned, having reached the refrigerator moments before Caleb.

Caleb bent down to tie his shoelace. "That doesn't count. My shoe was untied."

"Yeah, right," said Rose. "You just can't stand that a girl beat you."

"That ain't so." Caleb straightened and turned, knocking over David's coffee mug.

The hot liquid spilled onto David's bare arm.

"Damnit!" He jumped up, his chair skittered across the kitchen floor and crashed into the wall.

"Mr. Baxter, you alright?" Caleb asked.

"Get away!" David shouted. He rushed to the kitchen sink and quickly doused his arm in cold water from the faucet.

Too late.

The pain turned to anger and ripped through his body, clouding his mind and threatening his hard-won self-control. "No!" David cried as he leaned over the sink, feeling the familiar, unstoppable rage rise from within. His blood coursed liquid fire through his veins while his heart thudded at a breakneck speed that reverberated in his skull.

"What's wrong with him?" Rose asked.

"I don't know," Caleb replied, gingerly taking a step closer to the man. "Mr. Baxter?"

"No," David managed to utter, thrusting a hand behind him. "Stay back." His heart pounded so hard David half-expected it to burst from his chest. Sweat dripped down his forehead and, as David swiped at his brow with his hand, he was stunned to feel his face burning with heat. What was this? He stared in confusion at his hand. He didn't remember it ever being like this...

David staggered and nearly fell, but Caleb grabbed his arm and he and Rose led the man to a kitchen chair.

"I'm gonna get my mama," Rose declared and ran out of the kitchen.

Caleb stood and stared at David, a frown etching its way across his forehead. "What's the matter with you?" the boy asked. "You havin' a heart attack or something? You need a doctor?"

David shook his head, his breathing too ragged for him to speak. His heart still thumping madly, he held out his trembling hands in front of him. The pale, colorless skin glistened with sweat.

David stared at his decidedly non-green hands and laughed.

"What's so funny?" Caleb asked, his frown deepening.

Somehow, some way he'd won. David's laughter came out in gasps as he struggled to get his breathing under control. It was finally over. Here in this kitchen in this little town in South Carolina, he'd finally triumphed. Did Sheriff Buck really have something to do with it or had he simply overcome the rage through sheer force of will to keep from hurting Caleb? His second wife Caroline would've said the latter. David's laughter took on an hysterical edge as he realized it didn't matter why. The Hulk was dead. He was free.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimers:** _American Gothic characters and canon belong to Shaun Cassidy and Sam Raimi; The Incredible Hulk characters belong to Stan Lee and Marvel Comics, although I am using the canon of the CBS television series as the basis in my story. Plot and any original characters belong to me. No copyright infringement intended. _

"Within each of us, ofttimes, there dwells a mighty and raging fury."

- The Incredible Hulk - Pilot Episode

* * *

"What on earth is goin' on here?" Rose's mother strode into the kitchen with her daughter close behind.

David looked up at her, a goofy grin on his face, unable to stop the laughter.

"See, Mama. Told you," Rose said.

"Caleb, come over here," Rose's mother said, trying to determine whether Mr. Baxter had gone plumb crazy. If he started quoting the Bible, she was going to tell Loris Holt once and for all that Matt Crower's old room ought never, ever be rented out to anyone.

The woman cautiously reached out a hand and touched David's forehead. She jerked her hand back, saying, "Why, you're burnin' up with fever."

"I feel fine," David said, the laughter finally subsiding. "Better than I have in years."

"Nonsense," Rose's mother declared. "And your arm!" She gently felt the raised red marks on his skin. "Rose, get the burn salve from the medicine cabinet. Caleb, help me get him up to his room."

She grabbed one of his arms and David thought briefly about waltzing across the tiled floor with her, so great was his joy. His weakened body screamed its objection to that idea, so he allowed himself to be escorted upstairs without any further protests.

* * *

Two short days after his return to a life absent of Hulkish transformations, David found himself standing before Sheriff Buck's office door. Caleb had been concerned when he learned where David was going that day, but David, spirits still high, had assured the boy that everything was fine. Now, as he raised his hand to knock on the door, the man felt some of that earlier bravado slipping away.

"Come on in, Mr. Baxter."

David slowly opened the door. "How'd you know it was me?" he asked with a frown as the sheriff hung up his phone.

"I asked you to come here, didn't I?" Lucas replied, standing and gesturing at an empty chair. "Go on. Have yourself a seat." He walked around his desk. "I need to speak to my deputy for a second," he said, stepping outside the office.

David had barely lowered himself into the chair before the sheriff returned.

"So how're you doin' today?" Lucas asked, shutting the door. He walked over to David and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Still got that lean and green feelin'?"

"No," David said, twisting away from Lucas's hand. "But that doesn't mean anything."

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't it?" He seated himself on the edge of his desk. "It's been a whole week since we had our little talk and there hasn't been a green-eyed monster spotted anywhere in town. Seems to me I held up my end of the bargain. Now it's your turn," he said, gesturing at David.

"You can't be serious," David said, standing. "You expect me to believe that this was all your doing? That you" - he pointed at Lucas - "solved my problem after all these years." David shook his head. "I don't think so."

"Oh, I'm deadly serious, mister," Lucas said in a low, even tone. "Nothing happens in this town that I don't have a hand in." He shoved the vacated chair forward with his foot. "Now sit yourself back down. I'm not finished with you yet."

David eyed Lucas. His buoyancy at having finally rid himself of the Hulk was slowly turning into something unpleasant. He grabbed the chair by its arm, dragged it off to the side away from the sheriff's desk, and sat down. Lucas shrugged at this ineffectual attempt at defiance. "Alright. What do you want from me?" David asked.

Lucas grinned and crossed his arms against his chest. "Well, now," he drawled. "I haven't quite decided that yet. What do you think you can do for me - Dr. Banner?"

* * *

"Hey, Ben."

Only years of having Lucas appear suddenly behind him kept Ben from leaping out of his chair screaming bloody murder. Now only the slight jerking of his body and a sharp intake of breath betrayed his surprise.

Caleb stood there, grinning at the deputy. "Did I scare ya?"

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Ben mumbled under his breath. "What can I do for you, Caleb?" he asked. "You lookin' for Lucas?"

"No. I was wonderin' if Mr. Baxter was still here."

Ben frowned slightly. "He's in with Lucas right now. Say, how come you're so concerned with that fella?"

Caleb shrugged. "Why shouldn't I be? He saved Miss Holt's life, didn't he?"

"I wouldn't get too caught up with him, Caleb. I've seen folks like him before. He's a drifter - fella like him tends to move in and out of town more often than some folks change their underwear."

"Hmm." Caleb sat down in the chair next to Ben's desk. "I'll wait."

* * *

"Wha...what did you call me?" David asked, barely concealing his shock at being addressed by his real name.

"What's the matter, Doc?" Lucas asked, reaching behind him for a folder laying on the desk. "Been so long you forgot? Let me refresh your memory." He flipped open the folder. "Banner. Dr. David Banner. Physician. Scientist. Hmm. Seems like you were a good one, too." Lucas glanced up. "Too bad you were killed in that lab fire."

"You must be mistaken," David said, his heart beating furiously to match the pounding in his head. "Let me see - " He walked over and attempted to snatch the folder from the sheriff's hand.

"Oh, there's no mistake," Lucas said, tossing the folder back onto his desk, out of David's reach. "There's a real fine picture of you in there, too. It's not real up to date, considerin' it was taken when you were still alive and all, but it's definitely you. 'Course I expect turnin' into the Hulk all these years'll cause a few gray hairs and wrinkles. Must be stressful."

David's eyes widened. His tongue suddenly felt large and unwieldy in his mouth. He swallowed hard and said, "Did you say Hulk?"

"Yeah, that was my reaction, too," Lucas said, shaking his head. "Doesn't have quite the ring of the Jolly Green Giant now, does it? Still, no one says reporters have imagination." He turned his attention to the tapping on his office door. "'Sides, you've got to admit, the Hulk ain't very jolly. Yeah? Come in."

The door opened and Ben poked his head through. "He here?" Lucas asked before his deputy could speak.

Ben nodded. "You want me to send him in?"

Lucas shook his head. "Not yet. I'll let you know."

"Alright." Ben nodded again and shut the door.

No! How could this be? David thought. Only minutes ago, before he passed through that office door, the sun had finally risen on his world. Now he was plunged into darkness again, by some nasty, small-town sheriff. Billy Peale was right when he'd told David he'd been lucky not to have encountered Lucas Buck.

"You alright there, Doc? You look a little pale. Kind of like a ghost - or a dead man." Lucas laughed at his joke.

David glared at the sheriff. This man ruined his life. He'd never hated anyone as much as he did at this moment.

"You ever see that old TV show, 'This Is Your Life'?" Lucas slid off his desk. "You know, where they bring out folks from the person's past?" A glimmer of fear crossed over David's face. Who could...

"Who do you suppose we have behind door number one?" Lucas walked over to his office door and put his hand on the doorknob, adopting a show host's tone. "The man who named you. The man who made you famous." David held his breath. "He watched you die and now he's goin' to see you reborn. That intrepid reporter - Jack McGee!"

"Nooo!" David gave a strangled cry and leapt across the room, shoving Lucas away from the door. Blocking the door with his body, he suddenly doubled over in pain.

* * *

Billy Peale strolled into the sheriff's station. "Looks like you've got a full house here," he said to Ben, taking in Jack McGee sitting impatiently in a chair near the door and Caleb banging his heels rhythmically against his chair next to Ben's desk. "Something going on?"

Ben sighed. "They're all waitin' for Lucas." After Caleb scowled at him, the deputy added, "More or less. So what can I do for you?"

"My car was vandalized. It probably won't do much good, but I'd like to file a police report."

"No problem. Let me just get the paperwork together." Ben rifled through his desk drawer, then thought for a moment and glanced up at Caleb. "Uh, Caleb, can you give us some room here while we take care of this?"

Wordlessly, the boy rose, sauntered over to Floyd's desk, and, boosting himself to a seating position on top of it, began swinging his legs back and forth. The two men exchanged glances as Billy sat down in the chair Caleb had just vacated.

"Alright now," Ben said, pen in hand and the proper form in front of him. "Why don't you tell me exactly what happened?"

"Well, I left my shift at the hospital, went out to my car and found that somebody had spray painted the word 'Chiselchin' in red all over it."

* * *

Crimson blood boiled in David Banner's body, carrying to every molecule the aching desire to transform into green. Calming, releasing, freeing green.

David lifted a feverish face up to Lucas. "What's going on?" he gasped as a sharp pain tore through his chest.

"Well, I'm not a doctor or a scientist like you," Lucas said calmly, "but it seems to me that you still got all that rage inside you. Since you're not changin' into the Hulk, it's got nowhere to go, so it's turnin' on you, eatin' you up inside."

"Doctor." David fell to his knees, clutching his sweat-soaked shirt in a vain effort to suppress the increasing agony. "Need. Doctor."

Lucas looked down at the writhing man. "You don't need a doctor." A shadow of fear crossed David's face as he stared at the sheriff. "You're doin' this to yourself. You want to live? Embrace the anger. Make it a part of you. Let the darkness in."

Lips pressed tightly together in a thin line of pain, David shook his head.

"Suit yourself then," Lucas said with a shrug. "You'd rather die in peace, so be it. It ain't gonna do you much good bein' at peace if you're dead though. Not a very heroic way to die either. Or peaceful, for that matter."

David lunged for Lucas. The sheriff stepped easily out of the way and David collided with a chair, sending both it and himself crashing to the floor. He looked up at Lucas, his vision clouding at the edges. "Why?" he asked.

Lucas stood over the man, regarding his agony with cold eyes. "Loris Holt," he said after a moment. "You shouldn't have interfered."

* * *

The door to the sheriff's office banged open and Ben charged in with Caleb close behind him. "Lucas, is everything alright? I heard a crash and..." The deputy's voice trailed off as he stared dumbfounded at Lucas standing idly by while David Baxter lay convulsing on the floor beneath him.

Lucas's head jerked in their direction. "What the hell -" He spotted Caleb. "Get out of here, boy."

"No!" Caleb cried as he rushed toward David.

Ben flashed to that terrible moment when he saw Lucas break that poor Temple girl's neck. He shook his head. Not this time. Ben found his voice. "Doc!" he shouted, glancing back out the door. "Doc Peale! We need your help in here right now!"

Lucas caught Caleb and hauled the struggling boy toward the door. "Ben," Lucas snapped, glaring at his deputy.

"No more, Lucas," Ben said, shaking his head. "No more."

Billy dashed into the office, took one look at David, and uttered an oath as he rushed to the man's side. Kneeling down beside him, the doctor said, "Get an ambulance here, Ben. Now!"

The deputy disappeared from the office as Billy tore open David's shirt. "I suppose this is your doing, Buck," Billy said, lifting up each of David's fluttering eyelids in turn.

"I don't take kindly to those insinuations. Why don't you stick to your medicine and leave the police work to those of us who know how to do it?"

"You did do it!" Caleb insisted, still trapped in Lucas's grasp. "Why?" He attempted to pull free. "Why do you have to hurt people?"

"He likes it, Caleb," Billy said, as he performed CPR on David. "He likes being in control."

Lucas frowned at the man. "Watch your mouth, Doc, and see to your patient," he said, then looked down at Caleb. "Now listen, son..."

"No!" Caleb kicked and hit harder. "Don't call me that!" he screamed.

"What's going on?"

Lucas glanced at the door and his scowl deepened. "McGee, get the hell out of here."

McGee. The single word penetrated the dying man's consciousness.

"What the hell?" Billy sat back on his heels and watched in amazement as David's glassy-looking eyes changed to a shade of green. Bones snapped and cracked and cloth tore as David Banner chose life over death.

Billy Peale's jaw dropped and he scrambled backwards, still on his knees, while the man he'd been trying to save disappeared into the body of this hideous green creature.

The Hulk rose to his feet and roared as he flung aside the torn fabric of his shirt.

The Hulk! Jack McGee's heart pounded as he realized this was the moment he'd been waiting for. As the Hulk fixed his gaze upon the reporter and roared again, Jack had only one thought after all these years of searching: What the hell do I do now?

Lucas pulled Caleb closer to him and the boy, sensing the danger and stunned by the transformation he'd just witnessed, didn't protest.

The Hulk swung around in their direction and, roaring, advanced on them. Lucas swore aloud and barely had time to shove Caleb toward Billy before the Hulk was upon him.

"What in the hell?" Ben appeared in the doorway and stood transfixed with his gun in his hand.

This wasn't part of his plan, Lucas thought, as he was seized by his vest and hoisted into the air by two huge green hands. He'd expected Banner would rather die than go back to his existence as the Hulk. As the Hulk lifted him above his head, Lucas realized this was one of those extremely rare moments when he was wrong.

"Wait! Stop!"

The Hulk paused as he was about to throw Lucas through the office window. He glanced over his shoulder at the voice.

Caleb.

"Caleb," Billy said, holding the boy firmly as they huddled against the bookcase on the far wall. "Don't draw attention to us."

Caleb ignored him. "No. Don't," he addressed the Hulk. "Please."

The Hulk inclined his head at the boy and scowled. Then he roared and slammed Lucas into the desk instead.

Wood splintered as the impact of Lucas's body shattered the desk. The Hulk flexed his muscles and roared again, then ran out of the office, knocking aside Jack and Ben. Screams pierced the air as those inside the office heard the Hulk crash through the door of the sheriff's station and enter the streets of Trinity.

* * *

Caleb tugged free of Billy and walked over to the desk as Lucas was pulling himself free of the debris. "You alright?" the boy asked.

Lucas straightened, gingerly rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah. Fine." He glanced down at the rubble. "Better than my desk," he said, then looked at Caleb. "You stopped him from throwin' me through the window."

Caleb shrugged. "Didn't see any reason to break a perfectly good window," he said. "'Sides, I didn't want to get cut by any flyin' glass."

"Uh huh."

"Uh, I don't mean to interrupt this touching moment here," Billy spoke up. "But is anybody going after it, uh, him?"

"Well, if you're talkin' 'bout my deputies," Lucas said, "they appear to be too scared to do anything but stand there and imitate doorstops." Lucas strode over to where Ben stood, reached down and grabbed the hand still holding the gun. Raising Ben's hand and the weapon to eye level, Lucas remarked to his deputy, "Have I told you what a fine shot you are, Ben? Why, you're so fast with that gun that I didn't even hear the bullets come out of it." He dropped Ben's hand in disgust and turned away.

"Well, well. What do we have here?" Lucas shook his head at the sight of Jack McGee lying in a crumpled heap on the floor.

"Is he hurt?" Caleb asked.

Billy scrambled over to the fallen reporter and quickly examined him. "I think he fainted."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimers:** _American Gothic characters and canon belong to Shaun Cassidy and Sam Raimi; The Incredible Hulk characters belong to Stan Lee and Marvel Comics, although I am using the canon of the CBS television series as the basis in my story. Plot and any original characters belong to me. No copyright infringement intended. _

"Within each of us, ofttimes, there dwells a mighty and raging fury."

- The Incredible Hulk - Pilot Episode

* * *

"I want to thank you for all your help, Billy," David said, as the car stopped on the road just outside of Ascension.

Billy lifted a hand off the steering wheel and waved it aside. "Sedating McGee so you could get out of town was no problem. I just wish I could do something about your condition. Hey, maybe someone at the CDC could help out."

David smiled wanly. "It's not a disease, Billy."

"Well, I know that, but the CDC gets around. There might be a similar case somewhere that you could study..."

"If there was another Hulk roaming around, I'm sure I would've heard of it by now," David said, getting out of the car. "It's not exactly something that's easy to keep quiet."

Billy glanced over at him and, grinning, shook his head. "I was right. You do have an answer for everything."

David grinned back. "Oh, I still have your lab coat from before," he said, reaching for his dufflebag in the back seat.

Billy's hand stopped him. "Keep it. Please," he said. "As a reminder of the doctor that you really are. Who knows? Maybe you'll be able to have 'Banner' stitched across the front pocket and wear it some day in public again."

* * *

Caleb stood on the porch of the boardinghouse, watching the sun set, and sighed. It'd been hard not to tell Miss Holt the truth when she'd asked him if he knew why Mr. Baxter had left. But the boy had promised Mr. Baxter he'd keep his secret no matter what and Caleb Temple intended on keeping his word. He sighed again.

"You're doin' an awful lot of sighin' and moanin' over there, boy." Caleb turned to see Lucas sprawled on the porch swing, swaying gently. "What's the matter? You miss your little green roommate?"

Caleb stormed across the porch and faced his father. "You made him go, didn't you?"

Lucas shook his head. "Not me, Caleb. Those demons've been chasin' him long before he came to town."

"He shouldn't have had to go. It ain't fair."

"So you'd rather have this Hulk tearin' up the streets of Trinity, scarin' people, hurtin' people? Do you think your friend David would've wanted that?"

"No," Caleb said sulkily.

"Well, then."

"Those reporters are wrong. He ain't really a monster," Caleb declared. Then, "I guess you ain't really one either."

Lucas raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

"How come you didn't help him? If you'd have helped him, he could've stayed."

Lucas looked at the boy, then patted the seat next to him on the swung. Caleb shook his head and remained standing. "Let me explain something to you about generosity, son. Generosity is for folks who got nothin' else in their lives and give things away to try to feel superior to everyone else around them. And the only people that take that kind of help are freeloaders who leech off those people so they won't have to lift a finger themselves," he said. "You don't ever give away something for free."

Caleb frowned as he struggled to understand this strange philosophy. "So, what happened? You charged him something he couldn't afford?"

A smile played at the corners of Lucas's mouth. "You could say that." He inclined his head. "Matter of fact, I think we both got more than we bargained for."

Caleb looked back out at the sky and sighed. "Well, it's just another person that's gone and left on me."

"You don't have to worry about bein' left alone, son," Lucas said. "I won't ever walk away from you."

Caleb met his father's gaze evenly. "Well, alright then," he finally said, still looking intently at Lucas. "But don't walk too close to me either. I might just trip you."

* * *

David lifted a hand in farewell as Billy drove off, then he flung his dufflebag over his shoulder and turned to face Ascension. Hands in his pocket, David Banner trudged down the empty road toward the setting sun.

THE END


End file.
